Automatic lubricator.



E. B. MCKINZIE. AUTUIVIATIC LUBRICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.15, |916.

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EDWARD R. MGKINZIE, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH A. EOWLER, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

AUTOMATIC LUBRICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 191e..

To all whom it may concer/n Be it known that I, EDWARD R. MCKINZIE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Lubricators, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to automatic lubricators, and more particularly to devices of this nature for use in connection with elevators and like structures in the manner shown and described in my Patent Number 1112821, dated October G, 1914, and upon which my present construction is an improvement.

In my patent above referred to, a frame is provided with converging guides for lubricating sticks, springs being arranged in the guides to bear against the sticks for forcing them into contact with the faces of the elevator guides. Due to the unequal pressure afforded by the springs as the lubricat ing sticks are used, this method of pressure has been found to be unsatisfactory, and it is the object of my present invention therefore, to provide in connection with a device of this character, means by which a more uniform pressure may be maintained against the lubricating sticks at all times, irrespective of the length of the sticks as they are used.

A further object of my invention, stated more specifically, may be said to be the provision of means for positively feeding the sticks forwardly in the guides during operation of the elevator or like construction, of such nature as to maintain a substantially uniform pressure at all times, provide for adjustment for this purpose, and at the same time permit of the use of springs in connection with the lubricating sticks to yieldingly hold the same at the desired pressure against the elevator guide.

In the accompanying drawing wherein is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, and which forms a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating` the practical application of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken therethrough substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4, 5, and 6, are detail sections taken therethrough substantially on lines 4 4, 5-5, and 6-6 respectively, of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through the forward end of the frame.

Referring now to these figures, I have illustrated a part of the top of an elevator in Fig. 1 at A, to which my improvements may be applied, in connection with-the elevator guides, one of which is seen at B, it being` noted from this figure and Fig. 7 that lubricating sticks C, C', and C2 are, by means of my invention, held against the several faces of the guides in the manner, and by the means, to be now described.

Referring now to the other figures, it will be seen that, as in my patent above referred to, I provide a guide frame for the lubricating sticks including a base and a cover 10 and 11, the base comprising angularly disposed arms, the converging ends of which arms are connected by a web 12, having a forward cut-out portion 13 into which the elevator guide projects as seen in Fig. l, and the cover having similar arms alining with the arms of the base and adapted for disposal therealong, the arms of the base and those of the cover 11 being con nected intermediate their ends by connecting strips 14 apertured as at 15, for the reception of connecting bolts by which the cover is secured upon the base.

Each of the arms of the base is provided with a longitudinally extending groove constituting a guide for the respective lubricating sticks and into which projects a curved rib 16 of the respective cover arm, which cooperates therewith in the guiding of the lubricating sticks. Vvith each of these grooves 17 a longitudinal slot 18 through the lower surface of the base communicates, and into each groove extends a follower 19 by which the respective lubricating stick is advanced, a spring 20 being preferably interposed between each follower and its lubricating stick, in order that the latter may be yieldingly held against the elevator guide B at a pressure determined by the position of the follower.

Longitudinally below each of the arms of the base is journaled a shaft 21 having an elongated screw 22 upon which the lower end of the follower 19 dependingthrough slot 18 is threaded, the shaft 21 being immovable. longitudinally, so that by its rotawith a ratchet wheel 23 and a manual adjusting wheel 21, both of these wheels being secured to tie Vshaft and the ratchet wheel 23 being engaged by a pawl 24 pivotally mounted upon a pin 25 extending through and connecting the outer ends of spaced links 26, the inner ends of which are journaled around shaft 21.

At one side the base 10 is provided with an intermediate pivot bearing 27 and with a slotted guide member 23 adjacent its forward end, 'a lever 29 being intermediately pivoted in the bearing 27 and having its forward end movable laterally with respect to the frame in the guide 28, the forward extremity of which lever is provided with a friction wheel 30 engageable with one or more cam members 31, each in the form of a bracket as shown in Fig. 2, secured in the course of the elevator well, the forward end of lever 29 being thus moved inwardly toward the frame upon contact with each such cam 31, in order to throw Iits outer end away from the frame.

The outer end of the lever 29 is joined to one end of a connecting rod 32 curved in its length and extending beyond the rear ends of the arms of the base 10 and provided adjacent eacli arm thereof with an upright piece 33. In the case of the arm of the base nearest the lever 29, the upright piece 33 of the connecting rod 32 is connected to the pin 25 before mentioned, by a link 34. In the case of the other two arms of the base, however, the upright 33 of the connecting rod is directly connected to pin 25. Thus, each time the lever 29 is actuated through the means just above described, the connecting rod 32 is moved in the direction of its length and the several links 26 will be moved so as to kslide the several pawls 24: over the teeth of the ratchet wheels 23, the shafts 21 being each prevented from movement at this time by means of a spring brake finger 35 engaging each thereof. During this movement, it is to be noted also, the engaging nose of each of the pawls 24 is held against the respective ratchet wheel 23 by means of a controlling spring 36.

When the friction Vwheel 30 has passed the cam member 31, the outer end of the lever 29 is again moved toward the frame and back to its normal position, by means of a spring 37 connecting the outer end of the said lever with the adjacent side of the frame, and as particularly V'seen in Fig. 5, and during the resulting movement of the connecting rod 32 in the direction of its length, the several ratchet wheels 23 are forced to rotate by the engagement of pawls 2st therewith, thus rotating the screw shafts 21 and advancing the several followers 19 lslight distances accordingly. Thus each time the automatic feed mechanism, as now fully described, is actuated, the several lubricating sticks are positively fed forwardly, although the means for this purpose provide, as before stated, for the interposition of springs 20 between the several followers and the sticks themselves, in order to yieldingly hold the latter in adjusted position. It is obvious, therefore, that uniform pressure of the lubricating sticks may be effected and maintained at all. times, and that the feed movements thereof may be either moie or less frequent dependent upon the number of the actuating cam members 31, and may be varied as to length by either varying the screw 22 or the throw of lever 29, and cruisequently that of the connecting rod 32. It is to be observed by particular reference to Fig. 3, moreover, that the forward end of the screw 22 of each shaft 21 terminates rearwardly of the forward end of the slot t 13 in which the respective follower 19 works, so that if through inadvertence the lubricating sticks are not replenished at the proper time, the followers 19 will simply work olf the screw 22 without danger of breakage or the jamming of the working parts.

In renewing the lubricating sticks it is simply necessary to remove the cover 11 and, speaking separately as to each shaft 21, lifting pawl 24C, and rotating the shaft by means of its hand wheel 21u to bring the follower 19 to the outer limit of its movement.

It is to be observed, furthermore, that the construction proposed obviates the necessity of frequent adjustment, changes, and attention, is strong and durable, and is particularly effective for the purposes intended.

I claim 1. An automatic lubricator of the character described comprising a frame having converging guide grooves for lubricating sticks, and having longitudinal slots co1nmunicating with the said grooves, a follower movable in each of the guide grooves for advancing the stick therein in step by step movements, having a portion projectiu g outwardly through the adjacent slot, a screw shaft mounted on the frame adjacent each of the said slots and upon which the projecting portion o-f the respective follower is threaded, having a handle for its manual rotation at one end, a connecting rod extending between the several screw shafts, ratchet mechanisms connecting said rod and said screw shafts, a lever mounted at one side of the frame and connected to said rod at one end for moving the latter in one direction, a spring for moving the connecting rod in the opposite direction, and means arranged in the line of movement of the frame in operation for engagement with said lever to actuate the same.

2. An automatic lubricator of the character described, comprising a frame having converging guides for lubricating sticks, a follower movable in each of the said guides for advancing the lubricating sticks in step vby step movements, a screw shaft onwhich the follower works, a connecting rod eX- tending between the several screw shafts, ratchet mechanisms connecting said rod and said screw shafts, a lever mounted at one side of the frame and connected to said rod for moving the same in one direction, a spring for moving the rod in the opposite direction, and means arranged in the line of movement of the frame in operation for engagement with said lever to actuate the same.

3. An automatic lubricator of the character described comprising a frame having converging guides for lubricating sticks, a follower movable in each of the said guides for advancing the sticks, means adjacent each of the guides on the frame for actuating the said follower in step by step movements, a connecting rod between the several actuating means, a spring for moving the co-nnecting rod in one direction, a lever connected to the rod for moving the latter in the opposite direction, and means arranged in the line of movement of the frame in operation for engagement with said lever to actuate the latter.

4. An automatic lubricator of the character described comprising a frame having converging guides for lubricating sticks, a follower movable in each of the said guides for advancing the sticks, means for simul taneously actuating the several followers in step by step movements during operation, and springs interposed between the followers and the lubricating sticks.

5. An automatic lubricator of the characn ter described comprising a frame having converging guides for lubricating sticks, a follower movable in each of the said guides for advancing the sticks, and means for simultaneously actuating the several followers in step by step movements during operation.

6. An automatic lubricator of the character described, comprising a frame having converging guides for lubricating sticks, means in said guides and conjointly operating to feed the lubricating sticks forwardly in operation whereby to promote uniform pressure thereof against the lubricated parts, and a spring interposed between each lubrieating stick and its feeding means whereby to yieldingly hold the former.

7. An automatic lubricator of the character described comprising a frame having converging guides for lubricating sticks, a follower movable in each of the guides for advancing the sticks, and means in said guides and conjointly operating to feed the lubricating sticks forwardly in operation in step by step movements, whereby to promote uniform pressure thereof against the lubricated parts.

Eni/vani) n. Mckiuzm.

Witnesses:

Josnrrr A. FowLER, JAY H. HARRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

